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The Canadian Society of Echo participated for the first time at Echo Hawaii 2014. Escaping the cold weather, wind chill and snow, Drs Igal Sebag and Howard Leong-Poi and myself participated actively in the five day session, joining an exciting American faculty of echo leaders. Of the over 300 participants, over 60 were from Canada, keenly enjoying the stimulating academic pursuits, as well as visits to the beach, volcano and waterfalls. Our American hosts were extremely gracious, and we were well treated to many receptions. The hotel and conference facilities at the Hapuna Prince were world class. The 4 bedroom presidential suite/villa was especially impressive, and befit the efforts of the main conference organizer, Dr. Jonathon Lindner. Next year’s meeting dates have been confirmed for Jan 19 to 23, 2015. Why not escape the polar vortex and join us in the Big Island.

Dr. Howard Leong-Poi:

It was a privilege to represent the Canadian Society of Echo along with Drs. James Tam and Igal Sebag, and work with our ASE colleagues at Echo Hawaii 2014. What a beautiful setting to have an echo meeting – echo images look even more spectacular in paradise! The hotel and conference facilities at the Hapuna Prince beach hotel on the sunny Kohala Coast on the Big Island were excellent, with welcoming and personal service. The beach was great for swimming, sunbathing and boogy boarding. Breaks were outdoors in the warm sunshine, with local fruit, juices and Kona coffee. It was great seeing our Canadian colleagues. The lineup of speakers included many echo luminaries, including Oh, Thomas, Lindner, DeMaria, Ryan, Sugeng, Stewart, Grayburn, Porter and Gillam! The program was very comprehensive, with high level, excellent presentations. Would not want to miss next year’s meeting, so save the dates now – Jan 19 to 23, 2015. See you in paradise!

Dr. Igal Sebag:

For me, attending Echo Hawaii epitomized a beautiful mix of pleasure and superb learning. This was my first time in Hawaii and I was stricken by its serene beauty and the variety of its grandiose landscapes. I truly felt as though I was in a privileged setting – the volcanoes, the tropical forest, our proximity with the animals, the ocean and the sunsets.

Along with James Tam and Howard Leong-Poi, the experience was also one of premiere education with world leaders putting in as much effort on reviewing the fundamentals of echocardiography as breaking new frontiers in effortlessly transitioning into the application of cutting-edge technologies for our day-to-day. We also understood from Jonathan Lindner’s introductory speech that our role as faculty did not limit itself to giving talks but, importantly, to remain very accessible and approachable to attendees for questions, debate and discussion. And we indeed had many, many exchanges – and I learned as much from other faculty than I did from physicians and sonographers attending the conference who had many experiences to share from the world of cardiac imaging.